My Partner Had A Crush On Me

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

Xiao Xiaosu

I went to the City Clerk’s office for a routine copy of my marriage license to finalize a trust fund audit. I expected a simple piece of paper, but the clerk’s pitying look told me my entire life was a lie. "The license was never finalized, Ms. Oliver. In the eyes of the state, you are single." The three-hundred-guest wedding at the Plaza and the Vogue features meant nothing. My husband, Gray Cooley, had intentionally filed the documents with a "procedural defect" so he could discard me without a legal divorce. Moments later, an iCloud invite titled "Our Little Secret" popped up on my screen. It was a photo of my best friend, Brylee, holding a positive pregnancy test at our Hamptons estate. Gray’s text to her was the final blow: "Happy anniversary, babe. This baby is the best gift. Once the trust unlocks today, we’re done with the charade." I soon discovered they were even stealing my career, reassigning my architectural masterpiece to Brylee while preparing my eviction notice. Gray's mother called me a "barren mule" in a leaked recording, mocking the infertility I suffered after saving Gray’s life in a construction accident. I wasn't a wife; I was a three-year placeholder used to secure his inheritance. How could the man I bled for treat me like a disposable prop? How could my best friend carry his child while pretending to comfort me through my darkest moments? The betrayal burned until it turned into a cold, hard stone of fury. I didn't cry. Instead, I walked into the penthouse of the Barretts, the Cooleys' most powerful rivals. I signed a marriage contract with Kane Barrett, the man the tabloids called the "Beast of Wall Street." "I want a wedding," I told his father, my voice steady and lethal. "Bigger than the one I had with Gray." If they wanted me gone, they would have to watch me become the woman who owns their world.

Modern Revenge Divorce

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One thing wrong with not knowing the main person who you are meant to hold onto in this case is that each and everyone who is a suspect looks the same

I am sitting in one of the round table chairs with Jessy beside me and I cannot take my eyes off the four AJ brothers as they all spoke to different people moving from one table to another

Hands-on the jaw, face forward and unmoving I follow every direction their eyes went to and every body movement any of them makes

"Seriously Clarissa everyone will start thinking you are an assassin sent to eliminate the AJ brothers" Jessy who has had enough of my watching and glaring eye's towards them said and then proceeded to drag my hands off my jaw

I sighed

"I'm just doing what I came here for Jess. I'm not here to eat these fancy foods and smell the incredible scent of the perfumes" I look at the table, with all the expensive wines and champagnes at the opening of the new store, and know this place isn't exactly my ideal

So many people standing or sitting, wearing expensive dresses that can feed me for at least a year, they all have their hands out and their fingers twitching all the time as they show off the expensive rings as an omelet and oh we might as well just sneak in the scent of the dresses too

"You have to bring your eyes down" She caution me again and I know I wouldn't do that

I came here on a mission, to find the AJ brother that could be Zoey's father

Yes, you heard me right. And before you start judging me, Zoey is an extraordinary two year old that should know who her father is, except I have no idea

"If only Laura just told me the one then we wouldn't be here right now"

"If only he answered her emails then we wouldn't bother been here right now," Jessy said in contradictory to my words

The thing is, my sister Laura Miller had a one night stand with one of the AJ brothers, and she never told me his name except for AJ. I was excited at first, easy to find right? Until I found out they were four and all their initials are A.J(terrible Americans aristocrats)

Okay, the description might match, right? Looking at them right now

'Strong chins that makes you wish he could keep making them clutch, blue sparkling eyes that makes you feel like his watching you the whole time, dark hair that you want to run your hands on at every single minute, and the fairest skin you can imagine

You see, the thing wrong with that description is that the three of them have the same description

You can imagine how confused I was browsing through the net as soon as I came down to New York to find Zoey's father

That is exactly what is wrong with my plans

"She must have said something to differentiate him from the others" Jessy reasoned

I racked my head but I knew there was nothing significant except that very description

I turn my attention back to the brothers and watch them as they all chatted away

One of them turned and our eyes collided together

"Shit" I turn my eyes away suddenly looking at the perfume bottle that has been in front of me all along

Do you think he noticed someone has been watching them? I should have looked away as soon as I have their physique memorized in my head

"I need to head to the restroom," I said to Jessy tapping her shoulder as I stood up

I walked straight to the restroom and rested my head on the entrance door as I got there

Everything is happening so fast, moving to New York from Decorah, losing the library as well as losing my job and now I have absolutely nothing to do in New York

I am here for Zoey I reminded myself more as I wash my hands and reapplied a little powder on my face

After calming myself a little I started walking out of the restroom back to where Jessy is. One look in her direction and I knew she was in deep conversation with this work crush whom she never stop talking about, it is better I let them be for a moment

Excusing myself I went to the bar and settled on one of their seats

"A glass of champagne please," I said to the tender and he nodded with a smile before disappearing

"Make that two," a voice said beside me and I turned and almost yelped out of my seat as I stand side by side with one of the brothers

"Hi I'm Jaime," he said with a smile that makes him look almost boyish as he stretch out his hand for a shake

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